A Guide to Cannabis Indica plants

Topics about marijuana are increasing every day, and people are learning more about two main species of marijuana plants, Cannabis Indica and Cannabis Sativa. There is so much that is revealed nowadays about Cannabis plants, most of which is helping people more comfortable about using marijuana products and get the best out of Cannabis.

For years, users have experienced differences when consuming cannabis species with many not having an idea of what species they were ingesting. This guide on Cannabis Indica that will help shed light and inform many people about Cannabis, which in turn will help them make better-informed choices when buying and using medical marijuana products.

The topic of Cannabis Indica and Cannabis Sativa has been extensively discussed, but many people don’t know much about cannabis Indica, or it’s cousin C. Sativa. Cannabis Indica likes to seclude itself from cannabis Sativa through the effect it produces in users. C. Indica’s effect is considerably different from the one created by the other species of marijuana.

What is Cannabis Indica?

Indica is a species of the genus plant known for its higher concentration of Tetrahydrocannabinol THC. This has given C. Indica, a lot of popularity as a drug that can be used for medical and recreational purposes due to its euphoric and intoxicating effects.

For many years C. Indica has been cultivated for a number of purposes including using the plant’s fibre to make cloth and of course the reasons mentioned above.

How Can I Differentiate Between Indica And Sativa By Looking At Both?

Key physical differences include the plants’ height and stature, internodal length, leaf size and structure, bud size and density, flowering time and odour. C. Indica plants usually grow shorter about 5 feet tall and are bushier than Sativa plants which can grow over 20 feet. C. Indica leaves tend to be wider, shorter with shorter blades as compared to C. Sativa leaves.

While C. Sativa flowers usually grow too long and a sausage-like appearance, C. Indica buds are wide, dense and bulky.

The growing period up to harvest time for C. Indica plants is shorter, about 6 to 8 weeks compared to the long 9 to 12 weeks growing period of the C. Sativa strains.

The odour of the Cannabis Indica tends to be unpleasant than C. Sativas. Indica harvested buds are more pungent, musty and skunky while Sativa harvested buds are usually described to have a sweet, fruity or floral smell. However, the taste of C. Indicas smoke has been described as sweet and fruity by users while that of Sativas is more of an earthy flavour.

How Are Cannabinoids Produced In Cannabis Indica plants?

Currently, the concentration of cannabinoids in a cannabis plant matters a lot, especially in the medical field as well as for those consuming marijuana recreationally. Cannabis Indica plants on average have higher levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) than Cannabidiol (CBD).

How Does One Feel If They Consume Cannabis Indica Plants?

Since C. Indica produces considerably higher amounts of THC, a user who has taken Indica strains feels a relaxed, soothing sedative, and numbing effect as compared to C. Sativa dominant strains which produce stimulating and energising effects owing to the cerebral high the Sativa strains provide.

People who have used C. Indica strains knowingly also report feeling happy, euphoric, hungry and sleepy besides being sedated. There are people who describe this type of high as the “deep body stone” which is characterised by loosened up muscles, and analgesia type of feeling.

There are particular C. Indica strains known to be very high in THC; hence, so strong that if consumed, the user experiences a “couch lock”. This is an extreme relaxation where the user is very high, woozy and sedated to even move about. It is as if the physical activities are sabotaged, and one cannot move until the drug effects start wearing off. This is probably the reason why C. Indica is not appropriate during the day when one is supposed to be working. However, for people suffering from insomnia, C. Indica is ideal for them, for it causes relaxation, sleepiness, and sedation that one probably requires during sleep time.

Pharmacologically, Cannabis Indica plants which have adapted over time to their ecological and cultural environment tend to produce fewer THC amounts than Cannabis Sativa strains. The “stoned” effect as compared to “high” feeling is attributed to Cannabis Indica plants. If a cannabis Indica offers a “high” effect, it is called a “body buzz” and has advantages like pain relief, effective treatment of insomnia and anxiolytic properties that help control anxiety.

What Are The Medical Benefits Of Cannabis Indica?

People mostly are looking for the medical benefits of C. Indica as opposed to getting high from it. Remember also, recreational use of marijuana is illegal in the UK. So, it would make more sense to focus on Indica plants’ medicinal value.

Please note that besides helping with insomnia, the C. Indica strains are very useful in the medical sector. In fact, there is a lot going on right now concerning the contribution of Cannabis to aiding with a range of health conditions. Numerous clinical studies have been done, and more are being conducted. Some proven health benefits of C. Indica include:

Pain Reliever: Being the stronger species, cannabis Indica strains work considerably well to alleviate pain levels. The drug has been used in managing conditions with chronic pain such as cancer, migraines and fibromyalgia. People who wish to avoid long-term consumption of opioid painkillers prefer C. Indica plants as they are considered more effective.
Headaches Reliever: Besides treating intense pains in the head caused by migraines, C. Indica plants are also good options for other types of headaches, especially the ones that don’t respond to prescription medication. Pharmaceutical medications also come with side effects w some people cannot tolerate. These patients would rather use medical marijuana, which has been found to be quite safer and well-tolerated by many users. Many investigations conducted on medical marijuana shows that there are considerably fewer side effects of using medical cannabis products.
Muscle Relaxer: As a strong antispasmodic, C. Indica helps a lot in relaxing muscles and suppresses spasms. This makes C. Indica strains ideal for treating conditions like Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
Anxiety Medication: C. Indica plants have very powerful calming effects which is why they are preferred for people with various types of anxiety and panic attacks.

What Are Specialists Doing To Enhance The Medicinal Value Of Cannabis Indica?

Cannabis breeding has been happening for long now, and in recent years, Higher-ratio CBD strains are being developed from the C. Indica plants. The resulting plants may reveal a 1:1 CBD to THC level in the lab tests. There are those with a higher concentration of CBD than THC in a ratio as high as 22:1 CBD to THC. It is believed that cannabis Indica related plants dominate the market. About 90% of the marijuana products sold in the UK have some Indica lineage.

There are a number of benefits that come with C. Indica plants with a higher CBD to THC ratios. CBD inhibit the psychoactive properties of THC, therefore gives the user just the health benefits of the cannabis plant. It has been found that cannabis strains with a CBD to THC ratio of above 5:2 have high potential if giving relaxing effects and decreased anxiety as compared to the vice versa of the ratio.

Should I Go For Medical Marijuana Specifically Obtained From Cannabis Indica?

While it may seem like cannabis Indica offers more powerful effects both for medical and recreational purposes, you are more likely to gain a lot with a hybrid strain. A cannabis hybrid is a cross between C. Indica and C. Sativa, which can offer a high characterised by other positive effects. It is said hybrids can offer the best of both worlds. For instance, C. Indica-dominant hybrids can help one to remain calm and relaxed yet focused and active enough to work efficiently.

What Common Cannabis Indica Strains Are There?

Some of the C. Indica plants are popular. These include:

Pineapple Kush
Purple Kush
Royal Cookies
Northern Lights
Critical KUSH
Speedy CHILE
MK Ultra
Fat Banana
Hindu Kush
Mango Kush
O.G. Kush
G13
Skywalker
White Rhino
Afghan Kush
Master Kush
Blueberry
Blue Mystical
Blackberry Kush
Bubba Kush
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What About The Consumption Of Cannabis Indica In The United Kingdom?

Since some Cannabis Indica strains have shown to have very powerful effects, specialists advise that one should consume little of the product at first.

While there are a lot of interesting things about the high effect of cannabis Indica in comparison to the high effect of cannabis Sativa plants, you ought to know that recreational use of Cannabis is illegal in the UK. Cannabis is classified as a class B drug which can fetch a punishment if you get caught growing, selling, buying or consuming it illegally.

Please understand that Cannabis for medicinal use is allowed, but there has been a number of issues where people could not access medicinal marijuana in the UK because of its limited availability. You’ll require a specialist doctor to prescribe Cannabis for Medical use. So ensure you communicate with a medical specialist before using Cannabis for medical purposes.

There are CBD products made from cannabis Indica strains you can buy and consume without the need for a prescription from a specialist doctor. CBD is considered a supplement and can help with a number of ailments like anxiety, depression, stress, chronic pain, nausea, convulsions, skin conditions and many others. Just make sure you buy CBD from reliable sellers for quality products and informative advice.